FTC Focuses On Data Collection And Consumer Privacy: Settles Charges With Data Analytics Company And Announces Workshop On Consumer Data Collection

The Federal Trade Commission made two recent announcements in support of its ongoing initiative to protect consumer privacy, settling an enforcement action against a data analytics company that allegedly failed to disclose adequately its consumer data collection practices and announcing that it will conduct a workshop on consumer data collection practices on December 6, 2012, in Washington, D.C.

Company Resolves FTC Claims Regarding Its Data Collection Practices

The FTC announced last week that analytics company Compete Inc. has settled charges that it violated federal law by using its web-tracking software to collect personal data without disclosing to consumers the extent of the information that it was collecting and that the company failed to honor promises it made to protect the personal data it collected. The proposed settlement requires that the company obtain express consent before collecting any data through software downloaded onto consumers' computers,